


dawn comes slowly, but dusk is rapid

by mynameislena



Series: somehow, we made it here [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Basically, But only at the start, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Hogan is a Good Bro, Hospitals, Hugging, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Peter Parker, Irondad, Light Angst, Mentions of Death, Multiple hugs, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Has a Family, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Rated Teen because minor swearing, Sensory Overload, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Lives, Uncle Happy Hogan, basically Tony snaps, because peter needs hugs, because that's a tag, but eventually survives, but he will be okay, but only at the beginning, but only possibilities, dad tony stark, i mean basically peter is insecure, inaccurate medical procedures, spiderson, to Titan basically, well it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26157718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mynameislena/pseuds/mynameislena
Summary: Thanos was gone, snapped out of existence, just like Peter had been. So it was anticlimactic, if you thought about it, seeing the broken kid with blood in his hair and rips in his clothes, sat there in the hospital corridor, waiting for the call, waiting to be told that he could finally -finally- see Tony, waiting to be told he was okay. But what if he wasn't?Peter didn't know how it happened, but suddenly they were hugging, and Happy was holding him nearly as tightly as May was. Peter awkwardly patted his back, wondering what he had done to have gotten so many hugs like this today. First, Tony during the battle. Then, to his surprise, Rhodey ( Col. Rhodes!! Iron Patriot!! War Machine!!! ) had hugged him when the battle was finished, but did that count as a hug? Did pulling him away, sobbing, from Mr. Stark, pulling him tightly to comfort him ( or to keep him away from Tony? ) count as a hug? Peter thought it did, even if it wasn't for Col. Rhodes. Then there was May, in the hospital. Now, Happy.When did Happy become a hugger?
Relationships: Happy Hogan & May Parker (Spider-Man), Happy Hogan & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: somehow, we made it here [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901011
Comments: 4
Kudos: 160





	dawn comes slowly, but dusk is rapid

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone!! so this is an irondad one - shot set basically right after endgame, but it's not far from home compliant. basically i was really sad because chadwick boseman has died, rest in power. it may not make much sense in the beginning but please read, this will be part of a series that will probably be connected and in the same universe but i haven't got it all planned out yet. thanks for reading and please feel free to leave comments of criticism or thoughts.

***beep***

" _This is - well, you know who I am. If you don't, then you have the wrong number. Anyway,_ _I haven't answered. If I haven't, I'm either busy saving the world or I don't want to talk to you. If you're family or friend, leave a message or call me back. If not, kindly stop calling unless it's earth shattering news. Or, about my world. Like, family and shit._ "

Peter could hear someone chastising him in the background, most likely Pepper.

" _Yes, I know, I'm sorry. Anyway, if you have this number you're probably vaguely important. So, leave a message. Or call me back later. Bye._ "

The phone beeped again, signalling the option to leave a message. But the only sound Peter could make was a chocked back sob before hanging up and calling again.

" _This is - well, you know who I am._ "

Listening to the voicemail again and again, Peter shakily set the phone down on the table, clutching his head in his hands and pulling at his hair.

" _Anyway,_ _I haven't answered._ "

Of course he hadn't answered. How could he, when he was in the state he was in? Peter wasn't even able to be in the same room. "Family only," they had said, and Pepper had given him a pitying look before rushing after the little girl they had called Morgan. But then, Happy was there too, as was Rhodey. Did he not count as family? Was he not going through the same emotions, pain and anxiety that they were?

" _Or, about my world. Like, family and shit._ "

Had Tony included him in that statement? Peter didn't know all that had happened in the five years that he had been gone, but he had thought that . . . when they were reunited, he felt almost - almost like Mr. Stark had held him so tightly because he was afraid he would go again. What did that mean? For him, it had felt special. Almost like Mr. Stark was protective, relieved to see him, even. But he had still lived for five years without him - he had to have moved on. Maybe Peter wasn't as important to him as he thought he was. Maybe . . . maybe Mr. Stark had forgotten him.

" _Or call me back later._ "

Peter knew he was being irrational. Tony had been the one to initiate the hug. Mr. Stark had wanted to be close to Peter . . .

" _Bye._ "

He was overthinking. It was just a stupid voicemail. And the stupid doctor who told him "family only." And the stupid signs everywhere, everything triggering memories. There was a lining of dust on the shelf across the hallway. A picture of the galaxy hung on the wall. Books and movies on the entertainment shelf, including Footloose. Stars and moons painted on the ceiling.

Oh, yeah. He was sat in the children's ward. Because, apparently, no one thought to let him even into the area that Mr. Stark was.

Mr. Stark.

" _Mr. Stark? Mr. Stark? Can you hear me?_ "

" _We won Mr. Stark . . . we won and you did it sir._ "

" _We won._ "

They had won.

" _I'm sorry . . . Tony . . ._ "

But at what cost?

" _I'm sorry . . . Tony_ . . ."

Peter let out a choked sob, once again pulling at his hair, not caring that there might be children near . . . other people - people who may have just come back into existence. Who was he, to be this broken? What claim did he have to be sad?

He knew exactly what happened. Other people . . . these people . . . none of them knew what happened. Those who had been dusted, have stumbled back into where they had left, not knowing why everything and everyone around them had changed - not knowing why they felt this unexplained feeling of having _missed_ people. The feeling of having been gone for a very long time, but no time at all. And those who had been left behind, may have witnessed the dust swirling, the pieces of people coming together to form the broken pieces of a person, however they had existed before. And they may have watched, as the same people broke down crying, feeling no pain, but knowing, _knowing_ that something was wrong.

Peter had felt pain.

Peter had felt everything.

Had felt the warning sense of _dangerdangerdanger._

Had felt the agony as every atom of his being slowly and excruciatingly being torn apart, had felt himself being split into pieces, breaking down into the fibers of his very own being. Had felt the searing torment as he fell against the space rock, looking into his father figure's eyes, knowing what was going to happen.

And he could still feel it.

When he was snapped back into life, he had other things to focus on.

" _Holy cow - You will not believe what's been going on - you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? And I must have passed out because I woke up and you were gone but Dr. Strange was there, right and he was like 'It's been five years, come on, they need us.' And then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time? And -_ "

" _What - what are you doing?_ "

" _Oh - oh, this is nice._ "

So he hadn't really had the chance to actually feel anything. It had been a messy war, Peter had been all over the place, fighting this alien and that alien. But now? Now that he was sat in a smelly hospital waiting room, with everyone else rushing around, trying to figure out what was happening? Now that he wasn't even allowed to see Tony, _Tony, who was dying in a room somewhere,_ and instead was totally useless, sitting there, red rimmed eyes, cuts and bruises, dust in his hair and rips in his clothes. Now, he felt everything. The pain that had been pushed aside for the fight was now burning inside of him, crawling over his body, reaching every point on him, every inch of skin was aflame, burning and trying to decide whether to pull apart or push together.

"P- Peter?"

Peter's head shot up.

May.

"Is it - is it really - are you - you - "

She stumbled forward as Peter jumped up to catch her, sensing her trip before it came.

"Hey, May."

She clutched him towards her, nails digging into his skin. But it didn't matter - because it had been five years since they'd seen each other, and even though it was only five hours for them, they still felt that sorrow, the wretched pain that had torn them apart just as it had his very atoms.

May mumbled his name over and over, taking his face in her hands and kissing his forehead again and again.

"May, hey, it's okay."

"Oh, baby." Leaning forwards and closing her eyes she put her hands on the sides of his head and put their foreheads together. "My baby. You're here, you're okay."

"Yeah, May. I am."

And then, the moment hung like a thread, pulling too tightly and straining as they leaned apart to look at each other, not knowing what to do next.

"What - what happened?" May furrowed her eyebrows tight, a concerned look on her face. "I was - I was walking outside and then - people started - just - turning to dust - and then - and now - "

"Peter Parker?"

This time Peter's head felt lighter as he turned to the voice. One of the nurses was standing there with a clipboard clutched tightly, hair pulled back into a loose bun. His brows were sweaty, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"That's me."

"You've been requested to come to the waiting room nearer to where Mr. Stark is."

Peter nodded at the nurse and turned back to May. "Hey, May, I'll explain it all later, okay?"

"Okay."

"You must be pretty special," The nurse mused as they made their way down. "They'll let non-family members in soon enough."

And there it is again. The inescapable truth - as much as Peter wanted it, as much as he hoped, he would never be family to Tony. No matter how many times the man took care of him after he was injured on patrol, no matter how many times Peter almost called him - *gasp* - his _Dad,_ whether to his face or in front of other people, he had to face the truth.

The only family he had was May and Ned.

He wasn't the type of person to say "blood before water" or whatever the hell the phrase was, he included Ned as his brother-from-another-mother, but he had to be honest with himself. Mr. Stark would never want him as a son, or even as a son figure. It just wasn't in the cards. So as he walked with the nurse and May towards the section Tony was in, he resigned himself to the facts.

What he didn't expect was to find Happy stood in front of the door to the hospital room, ( the hospital room that Mr. Stark was in was _right there_ ) pacing and wringing his hands nervously. When he heard Peter and May's footsteps, he stopped abruptly and turned to them.

The look on his face when he saw Peter was something that Peter would never fully know and May would never forget.

"Pete . . ."

And there they were, stood in the corridor of an old hospital, the only light being a flickering, buzzing ceiling light and the window showing nothing but the dark night.

"Peter you . . . Parker . . ."

Peter didn't know how it happened, but suddenly they were hugging, and Happy was holding him nearly as tightly as May was. Peter awkwardly patted his back, wondering what he had done to have gotten so many hugs like this today. First, Tony during the battle. Then, to his surprise, Rhodey ( _Col. Rhodes!!_ _Iron Patriot!!_ _War Machine!!!_ ) had hugged him when the battle was finished, but did that count as a hug? Did pulling him away, sobbing, from Mr. Stark, pulling him tightly to comfort him ( or to keep him away from Tony? ) count as a hug? Peter thought it did, even if it wasn't for Col. Rhodes. Then there was May, in the hospital. Now, Happy.

When did Happy become a hugger?

Was that something else that had changed, in the five years he was gone? Peter hadn't allowed himself to think too much about everything that had changed, but he knew that there was a lot he missed. He spotted the wedding ring on Ms. Pott's hand, the child called Morgan who had been crying into Ms. Pott's shoulder as she carried her into the hospital room. Those were only two things that had changed, and they were both astronomical to Peter.

"Peter you - I think we should - are you - maybe you should - "

"Happy," May put her hand on Happy's shoulder, looking him in the eye. "It's okay. We can have time to catch up later. What are we going to do, _now._ "

"Okay," Happy closed his eyes and took a breath in before turning back to Peter. "Pete, I - I missed you. But, but now, I think you should see Tony. They've got him on life support but he's - he's stable, so far. And conscious. He's - yeah, he's conscious."

"Is he talking?" May supplied, always the sensible one.

 _Has he asked for me?_ Was the only thing Peter was thinking.

"No." Happy answered May's question, and unknowingly Peter's. "But - his eyes are moving and his hand twitches every once in awhile. I think he smiled when Pep and Morgan came in, but he was - I think he was looking for you."

He directed the last part at Peter, giving a little nod.

"Me?" Peter said in a small voice, hating how weak he sounded. But Happy nodded anyway. "I - I'm not allowed in there. The doctor told me that - only family are allowed. In there. The room."

"Peter," The look Happy gave Peter was significant, even if neither of them picked up on it. " _You're_ family."

And if that didn't break Peter.

( Spoiler alert:

It did )

"Are - are you - "

But then they were hugging again, and it was nice.

" _Oh, this is nice._ "

And then he wasn't in the smelly hospital corridor, he was on Titan, and he was hugging Tony, and Thanos was there, and he was stumbling backwards into May's arms, begging not to go, screwing his eyes shut in the hope that he wouldn't disappear.

"Peter!" He heard.

"Peter, you're okay, we're right here, calm down."

" _You're alright._ "

But then there was a loud noise from far away, and his ears started ringing. Tripping over his feet to get away, he covered his ears and curled up into a ball, waiting, _waiting_ for the sounds to stop, for the ringing to quiet, for his senses to go back to normal.

And then there were noise cancelling headphones being pushed over his ears, dark sunglasses thrust on his face, controlling how much light he was exposed to. A few minutes of sitting there, taking deep breathes and calming himself down, and he was okay. He wasn't fine, he wasn't good, it'd be a long time before he got to there. But he was better, he was okay.

"Peter?" May's shaking voice rung through his head as he hesitantly removed the headphones. "Are you - what - can I - ?"

"Sensory overload." Happy answered. "Tony, he - he told me about them. What to do when it happens."

"Huh." Guess that there were bad side effects of the spider bite too.

"Pete, if you're ready, we can - erm, we can go inside. Just us two, May isn't allowed in. No offense, May."

"None taken, I get it. But I'm expecting an explanation after."

"Of course, May." Happy gave May a nod before putting his hand on Peter's back and guiding him into the room. Peter saw Rhodey first, who barely looked up to give Happy a small, sad smile. Then he saw Pepper, stood by the bedside, holding the child called Morgan in her hands, gently caressing the hand on the hospital bed.

( the hand that was his mentor's and his mentor that was Tony Stark and Tony Stark who was in the hospital bed and in the hospital bed with that burned arm which looked really bad and Oh God his suit was still on him and it looked really bad and then

once he looked higher, looking to see, then looking away because he couldn't take it - )

Tony was looking at him.

"Tony!" Happy rushed from Peter's side to Tony's, tears forming in his eyes. "Tony you're - you're awake."

"Happy, he hasn't said anything yet, but he was - "

"'ete."

Everyone's heads snapped towards the sound.

"'eter."

And then everyone looked at Peter.

Peter had never been one for the center of attention, as himself, as Peter. As Spider-Man, it was easy. It was incredible easy to slip into the role with confidence, using witty one-liners and comebacks in conversations with the bad guys, or the cops, or the victims to make them laugh after they cried. It was an amazing feeling, to have everyone looking him in awe, congratulating him, thanking them, overwhelming him with praise and presents. As Spider-Man, he was used to it. As Spider-Man, he relished it, craved it, looked forward to it. But as Peter Parker?

Peter Parker wasn't an attention seeker. Peter Parker wasn't confident, he wasn't self-assured, he was insecure and self-conscious. Peter Parker was smart, sure. But he wasn't witty - wasn't willing to talk back to others, even if they provoked him. Peter Parker went red when people looked at him for too long, felt himself going warm whenever someone lightly complemented him, and didn't know how to react to unwanted/unprovoked attention. As Peter Parker, he was a nobody. As Peter Parker, he despised attention, avoided it.

And now?

No one was looking at him in a familiar way he was used to.

Everyone was looking at him. But he didn't feel like they wanted to.

"Um."

That was eloquent.

"Peter."

Once again, Peter's face heated up, but this time his eyes filled with tears as he finally looked towards his Iron Man, Tony Stark, his mentor, no - his father figure. He could relish that in his own private thoughts, though he would never dare say it aloud.

"Mr. Stark?"

" _Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good._ "

Tony winced. "Kid. St - stop. it's T'ny."

"Tony." Peter tested it out on his tongue, wincing just as Tony had.

" _I'm sorry . . . Tony._ "

"'ooks like b'th 'r tr'ggers." Mr. Stark said, giving a wry smile and blinking several times.

Everyone else had moved away, leaving the two in their own world. Now that Tony was awake, and the doctors had assured he was stable, they decided they could give the two - who had grown so close, during such little time - some time to themselves, after five years apart.

"Yeah," Peter looked away quickly, trying to discreetly wipe his eyes. "Yeah."

They gave each other small smiles.

And although there were so many things wrongs, so many problems they needed to work through, so many thoughts and questions that needed to be worked out, they had time. Time to grow, time to bond, time to grow closer. And that was all they needed, wasn't it?

**Author's Note:**

> sorry that the ending was kind of abrupt, i wanted to end it soon so the next part of the series can pick up where i want to to. this is my first irondad one shot of this type so please don't judge me! although, i'd love to hear what you think. by the way, if you want to see the next part subscribe to the series not this work :)  
> 


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